Review: Naud Cognac VSOP

If you didn’t think you’d find room for innovation and new blood in old school Cognac, look no further than the Naud family, which revived an old distillery and has been making Cognac here since 2017. The operation also produces gin and vodka in addition to its four expressions of the iconic French brandy. We start our coverage of Naud with its second-level expression, a VSOP.

Quite floral on its nose, the aromas of freshly produced eaux de vie waft from the glass, layering in notes of lavender, vanilla, gingerbread spices, and orange blossoms. The vanilla becomes more immersive with time in glass, taking on a cookie-like character that mixes in some sweetness with the perfumed notes.

The palate does an admirable job at melding the above together, offering a clearer vanilla cookie character but still plenty of spice and florals. The perfume notes endure, melding with late-game milk chocolate, almond, and some lingering, finishing notes of black tea. A bit hard-edged at times, but a strong squeeze of orange oil and a bit of apricot give the finish a fruity quality, all dusted with those enduring, summery florals.

While perhaps ideal in a Sidecar, it’s got plenty of life to merit sipping solo after (or before) dinner.

A- / $60 / naudspirits.com

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